Integrated Water Resources Management in Isfahan (Iran)

Finding solutions to increasing conflicts over water use

In many countries of the South, water is a scarce resource. Different usage demands and increasing competition between rural regions and growing cities, agricultural and industrial sectors require integrated water resource management (IWRM). In an exploratory study led by inter 3, and in cooperation with the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE) GmbH and the practice partner p2m berlin GmbH, the project will investigate how an IWRM concept can contribute to improving the water management situation in the Zayandeh Rud River catchment area in Isfahan.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the research programme "Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) including the necessary transfer of technology and know-how".

Goal: sustainable water use in the Zayandeh Rud catchment area

The IWRM concept is a holistic approach. Integrated water planning aims to promote sustainable use that is socially just and economically viable. Using the example of Isfahan, the study addresses the question of what opportunities and limitations exist for context-specific IWRM and how they can be overcome.

The Zayandeh Rud, which rises in the Zagros Mountains, is the river with the most water in central Iran. Nevertheless, with regard to the resources in the river's catchment area, water management is caught in a field of tension between different actors, which has escalated to a crisis-like degree in recent years.

Cities' drinking water supply, large steel rolling mills and agriculture, which depends on irrigation, all have a high demand for water. As a result, the Gav Khuni wetland, internationally recognised in the Ramsar Convention, does not receive an adequate amount of water. Due to the multiple uses, there are also considerable quality problems.

Together with the Iranian water authorities, an adapted IWRM concept is being developed for the Zayandeh Rud, which can serve as an example for other regions.